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Is Technology Negatively Impacting Our Health?

Posted Mar 12 2012 10:03am

Over the last twenty years, we have seen a significant decline in the amount of time we spend outdoors . In a survey from Hofstra University, 70 percent of mothers reported playing outside every day when they were young, compared to only 31 percent of their children. Additionally, 56 percent of the moms played for three hours (or longer) at a time, compared to only 22 percent of their children. This decline in outdoor playtime can be directly attributed to advances in technology and media. Most children between 6 months and 6 years of age spend an average of 1.5 hours a day with electronic media, and those between 8 and 18 years of age spend an average of 6.5 hours a day with electronic media, totaling more than 45 hours a week.

In another study released by the Council for Research Excellence, adults over the age of 18 spend an average of 8.75 hours a day in front of some format of media, including televisions, computers, and cell phones. Almost 6 of those hours are spent specifically, in front of the television. Although technology is a necessity in today’s day in age, our incessant need to be plugged in could be doing us a big disservice. Researches claim that constant exposure to media causes our brains not to get the essential downtime it needs which can negatively impact our ability to create long-term memories.

It is clear that this dramatic increase in sedentary time in front of the television, the computer, cell phones and even portable video games (E.g., Game Boy) is hugely impacting our health. Not only are we becoming inactive as a society as a result, but it impacts our mental well being as well. Do you know how much time you spend in front of technology? Download the 52 Small Change Technology Usage Log: http://www.sheerbalance.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Technology-Usage-Log.pdf

Do you fall victim to this pattern? How many hours do you spend in front of technological mediums?
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